Valve actuator interlock control for tilting dump cars



Jan. 21, 1964 H. F. FLOWERS VALVE ACTUATOR INTERLOCK CONTROL FOR TILTINGDUMP CARS Filed NOV. 5, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Hewibrtf ZATTORNEY J 1964 H. F. FLOWERS VALVE ACTUATOR INTERLOCK CONTROL FORTILTING DUMP CARS Filed Nov. 5, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR fkryirtf'lowers BY m, m wm ATTORNEYS United States Patent Office 3,ll8,3%i Patented Jan. 21, 196

3,118,394 VALVE ACTUATOR INTERLOCK CONTRUL FOR TILTING DUMP CARS HenryFort Flowers, R0. Box 238, Findlay, Ohio Filed Nov. 5, 1953, Ser. No.772,067 Claims. (Cl. 105273) The following specification relates to animprovement in a valve control interlock for dump cars of the type inwhich the cars are discharged to either side as may be desired. Theinvention is an improvement applicable to such cars of the general typeshown in my former patent granted August 28, 1934, No. 1,972,042, towhich reference may be made for general structural details. The improvedinterlock may also be related to my patent issued March 20, 1956, No.2,73 8,733, showing the valve structure involved.

An object of the invention is to provide a valve control interlock whichwill make it impossible to introduce pressure fluid simultaneously tocylinders on both sides of an air-dump oar.

Another object of my invention is to provide an interlock between thevalves such that it will positively exhaust the pressure fluid from thelifting cylinders on one side of the dump car whenever pressure fluid isdelivered to the cylinders on the opposite side of the car.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an interlock thatwill positively prevent reversing the direction of the dumping from thecar except when the dump body is resting in its central position on theunderframe of the car.

Among the objects of my invention is to provide a simple mechanicalinterlock between the valve control shafts on opposite sides of the car.

A still further object of my invention is to provide latch means whichwill block the movement of the valve operating shafts whenever the dumpbody has been tilted out of its normal horizontal position of rest.

These and other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and inpart evident in the preferred embodiment of the invention as illustratedin the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary vertical cross-section of the floor and relatedparts of the underfr'ame of a side dump body in central position with myimproved interlock for valve control mechanism;

FIG. 2 is a similar cross-section with the side dump body tilted intodumping position;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the valve control mechanism andinterlock mounted on the underframe of the dump car body;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical cross-section on the line 44 of FIG. 1;

.FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the relation between the interlock andthe associated valves and FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the valve forthe elevating cylinders.

In brief, the drawings illustrate the invention as comprised of meansactuated by the movement of the selected valve operating shaft to blocka contrary movement of the inactive valve shaft and its associatedlifting cylinders. Furthermore, in conjunction with such inte lockingmeans, provision is made for the dump body in its tilting movement torelease a stop which will block the reverse movement of the interlockand thus prevent the valve operating shaft from going into inletposition. In this way it is impossible for both valve operating shaftsto be in the open position at the same time.

The dump car has an underfrarne 7 from which bolsters8, 8 extendlaterally for the support of a dump body 9 of which a fragmentaryportion is shown on the drawings.

This dump body 9 is tilted late-rally in one direction by cylinders 16,ltd, or laterally in the opposite direction by cylinders 11, 11,diagrammatically illustrated on FIG. 5 on trunnions 15 and ll.

The cylinders ltl, lid are controlled by a valve 12 with conduit 12mounted on the under-frame '7 by which compressed air or other pressuremedium is delivered to the cylinders it}, ill, causing them to tilt upone side of the dump body 9. The dump body rests on each side ontrunnions 42 of which one only is illustrated and is hoisted on eitherside selectively by pressure cylinders ill and 11 also mounted on theunderframe. This structure is that disclosed in detail in theabove-mentioned Patent No. 2,738,733.

The valve 12 is controlled by a rock shaft 14 extending longitudinallyon one side of the underframe 7. At one end the shaft 14 has a crank arm.15 to which is attached an operating handle 16.

In the form shown on the drawings, the shaft 14 has an extension 17running to the opposite end of the underbody 7. At this point theextension 17 terminates in a rock lit the end of which carries acounterweight bar 19. The extension 17 is jou-rnaled in a plate 36mounted on a bracket 37 extending outwardly from an I-beam 33 formingpart of the underframe 7. The upper edge of the plate 36 limits theextent of movement of the bar 19, the valve-operating shaft 14 and itsextension 17. The operating handle 16 is capable of giving the shafts1.4 and -17 a range of movement of about The counterweight bar 19prevents the shaft from stopping at an intermediate position. The weightof the counterweight bar is such as to cause the shaft to move to one orthe other end of its movement.

The opposite side of the underframe 7 carries a similar valve 13 for thecylinders 11, 11'. A valve shaft 26' extends along the underframe andterminates opposite the valve shaft extension 17. The end of the shaft2t carries a crank 21. The shaft 24 is given a range of movement similarto that of shaft 14. The shaft 20 is journaled in a plate 39 mounted ona bracket 4 extending outwardly from I-beam 41 forming part of theunderrarne 7. Shaft 2a carries at its outer end an arm 22 having acounterweight bar 23. The upper edge of the plate 38 limits the movementof the counter-weight bar 23 and the valve operating shaft 20.

The shaft 2%} is capable of the same range of movement as shfit 14.

As shown in FIG. 2 by way of example, when the shaft 26 moves inwardly,it serves to allow inlet of the pressure fluid to the cylinders 11 inthe angular positions indicated.

At the opposite range of movement, the valve 13 is in the exhaustposition.

The intermediate range of movement is a. lap during which pressure fluidis neither admitted to nor exhausted from the cylinders.

Mounted between the counterweight bars 19 and 23 is a reciprocating rod24. This rod moves freely transversely of the underframe. The oppositeends of the reciprocating rod carry heads 25 and 26 which are within thepaths of movement of the counterweight bars 19 and 23 respectively.

The reciprocating rod 24 is located so that the end of the counterweightbar 19 strikes the head 25 of the reciprocating rod 24. Thereciprocating rod 24 has a length selected such that when onecounterweight bar is in the inlet position, the opposite head on thereciprocating rod forces the other counterweight bar outwardly andconsequently throws the shaft and its associated valve into the exhaustposition. The location of the reciproeating rod insures that air underpressure can never enter the dump cylinders on both sides of the car atthe same time. It is also important to prevent a reversal in thedirection of tilt of the dump body when the latter is partially tilted.To accomplish this, an interlocking mechanism is provided. Theunderframe of the dump car carries a bracket 27 which forms a bearingsupport for a beam 28. The beam 28 has trunnions 29 pivoted in thebracket. At one end this beam has a pivot for a yoke 36 from which aloclc bar 31 depends. In its upper position this lock bar clears thehead 26 of the reciprocating rod 24 and permits the valve to be shifted.

However, when the lock bar drops to the extent permitted by its collar32, the bar blocks the reciprocating rod head 26 and prevents movementof the valve shaft.

The underirame at this point is provided with a slide bearing 33 throughwhich the bar 31 projects freely.

The opposite or inner end of the beam 28 is normally help up by acompression spring 34. This spring extends between the beam 23 and thebracket 27 as shown on HS. 2.

The dump body 9 carries a detent 35. This detent strikes the free end ofthe beam 23 when the dump body is brought into a horizontal position asillustrated on FIG. 1. It follows therefore, that the lock bar 31 isheld up out of the path of the rod head 26. The rock shaft or the valveis thus free to move.

When, however, the dump body is tilted in either lateral direction, thedetent 35 is lifted out of the path of the beam The latter then dropsthe lock bar 31 into the path of the rod head 26 and prevents it frommoving in either direction. In this Way the transverse rod 24 isprevented from reverse movement.

From the above description it will be clear that the valve shafts onopposite sides of the underrrame are prevented from being in the inletposition at the same time. In the position shown in FIG. 1, either valveshaft may be brought into the inner or inlet position. Simultaneouslywith this movement the rod is advanced outwardly on the other site andthus holds the shaft on that side in ex? .ust position. It is thereforeimpossible to move the second valve into an inlet position at the sameti .12.

When the body has tilted, the second valve cannot be brought into inletposition due to the blocking by the lock bar 31.

Only when the dump body is returned to a horizontal position is itpossible to unlatch the lock bar 31 and lift it out of the path of head26 in each direction and thus allow the valve shafts to rock in theopposite direction to the extent that would permit the second shaft toopen its valve and at the same time hold the first shaft in the exhaustposition.

The invention has been illustrated and described in its preferred form.It is subject to modification and minor changes in proportions andmechanical equivalents without departing from its scope as defined inthe following claims.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with the underframe of a dump car havin lateral sides,a dump body mounted thereon for tilting sideways, hoisting cylinders forthe dump body mounted on each side of the underirame, separate pressurevalves mounted on the underframe and each connected to the cylinders onone side, separate valve-actuating shafts mounted on said underirame andeach connccted with one valve, an arm on each shaft, a reciprocating rodshiitably held in the underframe, said rod being moved by one of saidarms out of the path of the said arm and simultaneously into the path ofthe other arm and means on the underframe vertically movable into thepath of movement of reciprocating rod to block its movement.

2. In combination with the underframe of a dump car having lateralsides, a dump body mounted thereon for tilting sideways, hoistingcylinders for the dump 4 body mounted on each side of the underframc,separate pressure valves mounted on the underframe and each connected tothe cylinders on one side, separate valvcactuating rock shafts mountedon said underframe and each connected with one valve, said rock shaftshaving roclr arms, a reciprocating rod shiftably held in the underirame,said rod being moved by one of said rock arms out of the path of thesaid rock arm and simultaneously into the path of the other rocl; armand means on the underframe vertically movable into the path of movementof said reciprocating rod to block its movement.

3. In combination with the undcrframe of a dump car having lateralsides, a dump body mounted thereon for tilting sideways, hoistingcylinders for the dump body mounted on each side of the undcrframc,separate pressure valves mounted on the underframc and each connected tothe cylinders on one side, separate valveactuating rock shafts mountedon said underframe and each connected with one valve, said rock shaftshaving rock arms with counterweights, a reciprocating rod shiftably heldin the underframe, said rod being moved by one of said counterweightsout of the path of said counterweight and simultaneously into the pathof the other counterweight and means on the underframe verticallymovable into the path of movement of said rod to block its movement.

4. In combination with the underframc of a dump car havin lateral sides,a dump body mounted thereon for tilting sideways, hoisting cylinders forthe dump body mounted on each side of tie undcrframc, separate pressurevalves mounted on the underfrarne and each connected to the cylinders onone side, separate valveactuating shafts having rock arms mounted on theunderframe and each connected with one valve, :1 reciprocating rodshiftably held in the underframe, said rod being moved by one of saidrock arms out of the path of the said arm and simultaneously into thepath of the rock arm of the other valve-actuating shalt, a verticallymovable locl-z-bar on the underframe, spring means moving said bar intothe path of the reciprocating rod, a detent carried on the dump body,and a pivoted link on the underframe, coupled to the lock-bar andengaged by the detent to hold the lock-bar retracted when the dump bodyis horizontal.

5. In combination with the undcrframe of a dump car, a dump body mountedthereon for tilting in either sideways direction, hoisting cylinders forthe dump body mounted on each side of the underframe, a separatepressure valve operatively connected to the cylinders on each side, avalveactuating rock shaft arranged longitudinally on each side of theunderframe. a rock arm on each shaft, a reciprocating rod, said rodbeing movable by one of said rock arms out of the path of said rock armand simultaneously into the path of the other rock arm, a beam pivotallymounted on the underframe, a lock-bar pivoted to one end of the beam, aslide bearing on the underframe for guiding the lock-bar for verticalmovement, a spring on the underframe pressing upwardly against theopposite end of the beam to move the lockbar downwardly into the path ofone end of the reciprocating rod, and a detent on the dump body bearingdown on the free end of the beam to retract the lock-bar when the bodyis in a horizontal position.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNlTED STA ES PATENTS1,243,3l2 Gow Nov. 17, 1917 1,283,733 Govv Nov. 5, 1918 1,972,042Flowers Aug. 28, 1934 1,985,653 Christie et al. Dec. 25, 1934 2,307,284Magee Jan. 5, 1943 2,646,474 Stratton July 21, 1953 2,738,733 FlowersMar. 20, 1956 2,745,361 Lunde May 15, 1956

1. IN COMBINATION WITH THE UNDERFRAME OF A DUMP CAR HAVING LATERALSIDES, A DUMP BODY MOUNTED THEREON FOR TILTING SIDEWAYS, HOISTINGCYLINDERS FOR THE DUMP BODY MOUNTED ON EACH SIDE OF THE UNDERFRAME,SEPARATE PRESSURE VALVES MOUNTED ON THE UNDERFRAME AND EACH CONNECTED TOTHE CYLINDERS ON ONE SIDE, SEPARATE VALVE-ACTUATING SHAFTS MOUNTED ONSAID UNDERFRAME AND EACH CONNECTED WITH ONE VALVE, AN ARM ON EACH SHAFT,A RECIPROCATING ROD SHIFTABLY HELD IN THE UNDERFRAME, SAID ROD BEINGMOVED BY ONE OF SAID ARMS OUT OF THE PATH OF THE SAID ARM ANDSIMULTANEOUSLY INTO THE PATH OF THE OTHER ARM AND MEANS ON THEUNDERFRAME VERTICALLY MOVABLE INTO THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF SAIDRECIPROCATING ROD TO BLOCK ITS MOVEMENT.